Frederick W. Smith founded Federal Express in 1971 after writing a college paper about the need for an airfreight shipping system for time-sensitive deliveries. After a period in the military, Smith started Arkansas Aviation Sales and realized the difficulty of getting packages delivered within 1-2 days. This motivated him to found Federal Express to provide fast and reliable shipping. Federal Express grew rapidly through acquisitions, becoming one of the largest cargo airlines and express shipping companies in the world.